CSOs to report Malawi worsening corruption at SADC forum
Local civil society organisations (CSOs) with membership to the Southern Africa People’s Solidarity Network (SAPSN) are expected to report worsening corruption and bad governance in Malawi at the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC) People’s Summit to be held on 16 and 17 August in Windhoek, Namibia ahead of the 38th Ordinary Summit of SADC Heads of State and Government.
The SADC Heads of State and Government Summit itself will take place on 17 and 18 August under the theme “Promoting Infrastructure Development and Youth Empowerment for Sustainable Development”.
The People’s Summit creates a platform for SAPSN member CSOs to influence enabling policy and legal environment, hold the SADC Heads of State and Government accountable and remind them of commitments agreed upon at SADC level for the common well-being of people in the region.
In Malawi, some of SAPSN members are Center for Community and Youth Development (CCYD), Malawi Economic Justice Network (MEJN), Malawi Human Rights Youth Network (MHRYN), Girls Not Brides Malawi (GNB Malawi) and Crossboarder Traders Association of Malawi.
In their statement titled “Malawi Solidarity Speech At 2018 SADC Peoples’s Summit” to be read by CCYD Executive Director Weston Msowoya, the organisations note that corruption remains a serious issue in Malawi especially in public service delivery and political circles.
Apparently, the 2017 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) by Transparency International (TI) shows that the country has moved down two places from 120 in 2016 to 122 in 2017.
“Civil servants and private firms connive with politicians to defraud the state. Justice is not being served in the interest of Malawians. The malpractice is retarding the development of our country,” reads part of the statement.
The CSOs have put into perspective the food rations deal involving Malawi Police Service (MPS) and Pioneer Investments (PI) in which President Peter Mutharika allegedly benefited 145 million kwacha through a Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) account where the president is a sole signatory, the procurement of multi-billion kwacha generators at the Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (ESCOM) which the CSOs allege was done corruptly and the siphoning of fuel worth 1.6 billion kwacha meant for the generators.
“We demand that the Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) must be independent enough to investigate these cases thoroughly and bring all the culprits to justice. The Southern Africa Forum Against Corruption should intervene to bring down corruption in Malawi and SADC through implementation of the SADC Protocol Against Corruption of 2001,” state the CSOs in their statement.
Meanwhile, an ACB investigation report into the food rations deal has just exonerated President Mutharika, saying he did not benefit even a single coin from the 145 million kwacha.
The development has drawn mixed reactions among Malawians and analysts with some of them concluding that the ACB is working under heavy executive interference.
The SAPSN CSOs, in their statement, have also expressed concern over rising youth unemployment in Malawi.
“This is bleeding frustration and desperation among the youth who comprise 65% of the country’s population,” notes the statement.
It adds: “There is too much lip service on the importance of technical, vocational education, and training and the development of other skills relevant to both local and global economies in Malawi. We demand practical youth skills development and economic empowerment programmes”.
The CSOs have also zeroed in on the May 2019 tripartite elections, denouncing bickering and violence ahead of the polls.
According to their statement, Government is using state owned Malawi Broadcasting Corporation (MBC) to castigate the opposition including CSOs and yet Malawians go to the elections next year as frustrated voters because authorities have not fulfilled what they promised them.
“Government must stop using MBC to incite public anger which is likely to cause political and ethnic violence”.
The statement has wound up by also condemning government’s indecisiveness on other crucial issues such as mining, land rights and drug abuse.
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You are just wasting your time killing and creating a bad history though it is true, why not just go to the Village and speak to people that they should register and vote out this Apumbwa? You think Pali dziko limene lingathandize maganizo pa umbava wathuwu? This is blood of thieves my friend, they started kuba akanali ana, amaba Khobwe mu mphika izi zilipozi ndizipatso zomwe zikubwera chifukwa chokula ndikhalidwe limenero, And you are there telling us that you will report them, where? To who? How? What are they going to do? Just do what I have asked you to… Read more »
Kkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkkk Koma atumbuka muli buzy
GOOD DEVELOPMENT.
PLEASE INCLUDE NEPOTISM AS WELL, NOT JUST CORRUPTION AND THREATS TO FREEDOM OF SPEECH!!
CHARLES MCHACHA AND COMPANY AMATUKWANA PA MISONKHANO YA A PULEZIDENT BUT I HAVE NEVER HEARD HIM (THE PRESIDENT) REPREMANDING MCHACHA.
PANO AKUOPSEZA A OPPOSITION WITH ARRESTS AND DEMOLITION!
Corruption is not only worsening in public sector and political parties, that is lie Winston. Even in ngos there is a lot of corruption covered under the carpet, and protect your images by blowing trumpets on other sectors. To prove that ngos are not corrupt, please submit your account to be checked and see what you do there is no element of corruption. If we are to win this battle of corruption, we need to change our ways. Public sectors are not corrupt on their own, there are influencers, who are also at the same time beneficiaries. For example if… Read more »
Thus the right thing to do! The government is not concerned to seal the loopholes cause thus how they be funding their selfish interests and feeding their bellies! if USA had same corruption as us it would have all the nicer things it has. We far to catch up with the rest of the world and yet we busy still rooting on everyday as we speak. In china they electricity has never gonna off not even once the whole five years i was there but in mlw everyday and no meds in hosp. but these thieves busy rooting how you… Read more »
Slow down CSOs, I think you are overdoing things? What is SADC going to do on this issue? Soon we shall start questioning your motives.
kkkkkkkkkk Mangawa a tumbuka awa.